Pallid bat (Antrozous pallidus) COSEWIC assessment and status report: chapter 5

Protection

Despite its rarity and extremely localized distribution in British Columbia, A. pallidus remains common throughout much of its range, especially in the southwestern United States. Only 1 of 28 pallid bat captures has occurred on protected lands (the Vaseux Lake Wildlife Reserve; Robertson 1998), and only 1% of the Okanagan region is afforded legal protection in parks or ecological reserves (Durance 1992). The Inkaneep plateau, where capture rates of the animal have been highest, is located on the Inkaneep Reserve where the risk of habitat degradation due to development has, in the past, been lower than in the region as a whole (Chapman et al. 1994). A recent trend for converting pasture land into vineyards on the reserve, however, will likely reduce available pallid bat foraging area (Brigham, personal communication), while a proposed hotel-casino, condominium development (Bailey 1995) could also disturb pallid bat habitat (Nagorsen, personal communication).

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